Savage Season

Already Dead

Charlie Huston2005

A vampire private eye in Manhattan hunts a person infected with a brain-eating virus. He navigates the politics of rival supernatural factions.

Same sardonic register, still noir

pace0·prose0·bleak0

Blackguards: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues

J.M. Martin

An anthology of short stories following criminals and mercenaries. The focus is on moral ambiguity and violent outcomes.

Same sardonic register, still heist

pace0·prose0·bleak0

Edge of Dark Water

Joe R. Lansdale2012

Three teenagers and an alcoholic mother travel down a river with a friend's ashes and stolen money. A killer follows them.

sardonic → tense, still noir

pace0·prose0·bleak0

Kill City Blues

Richard Kadrey2013

Sandman Slim hunts for a weapon in a supernatural mall filled with monsters and gods. It is a noir story set in a gritty Los Angeles.

Same sardonic register, still noir

pace0·prose0·bleak-1

House of Leaves

Mark Z. Danielewski1998

A man finds a door in his house that should not exist. The story is told through layers of academic footnotes and a decaying manuscript.

pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

Ambergris

Jeff VanderMeer2020

This collection follows the history of a city built atop a subterranean race. It uses fake histories, journals, and detective noir.

pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

Artemis

Andy Weir2017

A porter and smuggler on a lunar colony takes a high-stakes sabotage job to pay off a debt. She uses technical knowledge to solve problems.

sardonic → propulsive, still heist

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

An Offer From a Gentleman

Julia Quinn2001

The illegitimate daughter of an earl works as a servant for her stepmother. She sneaks into a masquerade ball and meets Benedict Bridgerton.

sardonic → playful

pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

Creepers

David Morrell2005

Five urban explorers break into a long-abandoned hotel in New Jersey and find themselves trapped with a killer.

sardonic → tense

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Patient Zero

Jonathan Maberry2009

A detective joins a secret government task force to stop a terrorist group using a bio-weapon that reanimates the dead. It is an action thriller.

sardonic → propulsive

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Absalom, Absalom!

William Faulkner1936

The rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen is recounted through multiple, conflicting memories. The prose uses extremely long, complex sentences.

sardonic → elegiac, still southern gothic

pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

Dhalgren

Samuel R. Delany1975

An amnesiac wanderer enters Bellona, a city cut off from the world where time and geography shift. He joins a gang and writes poetry.

sardonic → dreamlike

pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

Geek Love

Katherine Dunn1989

Carnival owners breed their own children into 'human oddities' using chemicals. The story follows the siblings' rivalries and a cult of followers.

Same sardonic register, still southern gothic

pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

House of Bone and Rain

Gabino Iglesias2024

Five friends in Puerto Rico seek revenge for a mother's murder during a hurricane. Their quest involves both gangsters and spirits.

sardonic → bleak, still noir

pace0·prose+1·bleak+1